Wear compensating means for rail joints



y 9, 1941. J. w. SKEEL 2,250,880

WEAR COMPENSATING MEANS FOR RAIL JOINTS Filed Oct. 22, 1940 INVENTOR. Jbhn William S/feel.

BY M WSW Hf: ATTQRNEY.

Patented July 941 1.; 3': g";

John Will iam Slreel North bsig or; to The American Fork & Hoe Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Qli'j o 1 Application october g2, 1941i, 's riarmgssazaa 3 ams 1- 38%2 41lj My invention relates to rail joints and relates more particularly to the provision of wear compensating means for such rail joints.

An object of my invention is to provide a wear compensating means adapted to be placed in the space provided by the wearing away of portions of the rail joint and which will support the parts in their proper positions.

Another object of my invention is to provide wear compensating means of the type described wherein the usual expansion and contraction of the rails is compensated for.

Another object of my invention is to provide wear compensating means of the type described which will eliminate, to a great extent, the formation of so-called tit on the top of the bar in the space between the rail ends.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become increasingly apparent by reference to the following description and to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is an elevational view of an embodiment of my invention applied to a rail joint;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the shim of my invention.

Referring now to the difierent figures of the drawing in all of which like parts are designated by like reference numerals, the rail joint of my invention comprises a pair ofjoint side bars I and 2 which are bolted to the two sides of a pair of longitudinally abutting railway rails 3 and 4 by a plurality of rail bolts 5 and 6 passing through aligned perforations in the joint bars I and 2 and the intermediate webs of the rails.

Also. as later more specifically described, I provide at either or both sides of the abutting rails, shims, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 herein, which compensate for wear produced by the pounding of the joint bar and the rail together incidental to the passage of a train over the rail joint.

It will be understood that the shims illustrated and described may be single or in pairs and may be placed at either or both sides of any rail joint and will be made in varying thicknesses to compensate for varying degrees of wear met with in practice and desired to be compensated for by the inclusion of such shims in the joint. In the shims illustrated herein, the greatest thickness is in the longitudinal median section and is graduall tapered towards the ends of the shim.

The present invention involves more particul'a'rl'y the shimmeans shown comprisingan apron 1' depending from the flange 8 of the annularly formed shim, said apron being adapted to so depend between the transversely extending bolts 5 and 6 adjacent the ends of the rails that engagement between the edges 9 and the lateral surface of one or the other or both of the bolts will occur whenever the shim tends to move within the joint longitudinally thereof. The bolt, in such a case, will effectively prevent such longitudinal movement and at the same time, the shim may be placed in the joint without the necessity of removing the bolts and reinserting them.

The apron I, which is integral with the flange 6, as above described, supports the wear compensating flange I0 disposed between opposing surfaces ll of the side bars and the surface 12 of the rail joint.

An oifset 0r corrugation I3 is disposed longitudinally of the shim and preferably disposed at the jointure of the apron 'l and the flange 8 whereby additional rigidity in the shim is provided and fracture and failure is prevented. Thus, when a severe punishing action on the shims is exerted, as for instance in locations where high temperatures are encountered in the day time and considerably lower temperatures at night and hence daily expansion and contraction of the rails occurs with resultant wear upon repair installation such as-shims, the offset will add to the rigidity of the shim and prevent breakage. It will be noted that such corrugation or ofiset is preferably disposed adjacent the head M of the joint side bar and substantially between the under surface of such head and the bolt. Furthermore, creeping of the rail, due to the acceleration or deceleration of the traction wheels of the locomotive, produces a grueling efiect upon the rail joints and prime wear thus occurs at the abutting edges of the rails tending to buckle the shims. The

corrugation l3 aids in reinforcing the shim against such wear.

It will further be noted that such corrugation or offset permits a certain transverse yielding of the shim by reason of a certain bellows action within said corrugation whereby shocks occurring at the ends of the rails by the passage of traffic thereover are compensated for.

I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the invention herein illustrated and described, but without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A wear compensating means for rail joints comprising a, sheet metal shim comprising a depending portion disposed intermediate joint securing bolts, said portion having an ofiset, said offset being a narrow crimped-in portion of substantially equal depth and width as viewed in cross section provided longitudinally thereof to strengthen said portion.

2. A wear compensating means for rail end joints of the type comprising a pair of joint side bars and bolts projectedthrough thebars and the intermediately disposed rail web comprising a metallic shim adapted to be disposed between the bar and the rail, said shim-having a depending flange adapted to -be"dispos edf between a pair of joint securing bolts, said flange consisting of a relatively wide and a relatively;

narrow portion, said relatively wide portion being provided with an ofiset, said ofiset being a narrow crimped-in portion of substantially equal depth and width as viewed in cross section dis- 2,250,88O v l. .7

posed longitudinally thereof to strengthen said consisting of a relatively wide and a, relatively narrow portion, said relatively wide portion adapted to overlie each of said bolts and said relatively narrow portion adapted to be disposed between said bol ts,'said relatively wide portion being provided withan offset, said offset being a narrow crimped-in portion of substantially equal depth and width as viewed in cross section disposed longitudinally thereof to strengthen said portion.

JOHN WILLIAM SKEEL. 

